The irony here is that St. Antony, who heads the Defence Ministry, is squeaky-clean, and has been delaying all kinds of necessary procurement to ensure that defence deals are not tainted.

Abhishek Verma, son of some or the other Congress leader, is apparently involved in this chopper deal. I'm sure Congress doesn't really want to investigate; their hand forced by the findings of Italian investigators, they will put on a show of going through the motions.

NEW DELHI: The company at the centre of the Agusta Westland VVIP helicopter scandal, IDS India, does not appear to exist in any official database. As reported by TOI on February 14, this is the 'company' which received up to Rs 140 crore in kickbacks in the 2010 VVIP helicopter deal with AgustaWestland via the tax haven of Tunisia over a period of about five years.

A search through the records of the ministry of corporate affairs threw up several companies with similar names, but nothing by the name of IDS India.

The IDS connection runs through the entire trail of kickbacks although little is known about the people behind it. Questions are being raised about the relations between IDS Mauritius and two Chandigarh-based companies, IDS Infotech and Aeromatrix, whose holding company is IDS Mauritius. Aeromatrix was promoted by three men, Guido Haschke, Carlo Gerosa and Gautam Khaitan, who are suspects in the Italian investigations into bribery in the Indian deal.

Investigations in Milan into corruption by Finmeccanica, the Italian consortium that also owns UK-based AgustaWestland, has shown that 51 million euro was paid in kickbacks in the Indian deal for the purchase of 12 VVIP helicopters.

The story of kickbacks in the deal looks straight and simple in the Italian court filings. It says between 2007 and 2012 several million euros was paid by AgustaWestland into IDS Tunisia. Money was remitted through Tunisia to IDS India against fake bills raised for development of software.

Aeromatrix, which is registered in Delhi but operates out of Chandigarh, has figured in the taped conversations of suspects in Italy. Until last year its directors were Delhi-based lawyer Gautam Khaitan, Swiss residents Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa. The last two are partners and are suspected to be key middlemen in the Indian deal, while Khaitan figures in Italian court documents as one of those who assisted them.

Aeromatrix's link to IDS Infotech, based in Chandigarh is curious. Aeromatrix was incorporated on June 26, 2009 after it supposedly took over some software work of AgustaWestland Italy that was being done by IDS Infotech. This work continues to remain the mainstay of Aeromatrix, with a modest annual turnover of around Rs 8.5 crore.

"The project from AgustaWestland Italy was transferred from IDS Infotech to Aeromatrix under a business transfer agreement, which is standard practice in the industry," Aeromatrix CEO Praveen Bakshi told TOI. But he claimed ignorance about the details of the agreement. This is despite the fact that Bakshi himself was a senior executive of IDS Infotech and moved to Aeromatrix as CEO along with all the employees working on the contract.

IDS Infotech handles offshore contracts across verticals such as automobiles and engineering. It may be a coincidence that Aeromatrix's holding company in Mauritius is IDS Mauritius. And it could also be a coincidence that it was through IDS Tunisia that the payments were remitted to IDS India.

While Bakshi said he wasn't aware who controls IDS Mauritius, two of Aeromatrix's directors resigned last year after the Finmeccanica controversy erupted. Gautam Khaitan and another director Arihant Jain resigned from Aeromatrix on October 29 last year through identical letters. "The name of the company is emerging in many controversies and news articles/clippings related with some alleged defence deals. The recent news articles in the press are very disturbing for me," both said in their resignation. Interestingly though, Khaitan continues to be the second largest shareholder with around 17% stake in the company. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/i...w/18508031.cms

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There are four kinds of people to avoid in the world: the assholes, the asswipes, the ass-kissers, and those that just will shit all over you.

NEW DELHI: Government is split over the need to cancel the helicopter deal with AgustaWestland, with foreign minister Salman Khurshid expressing his unease over the defence ministry's move to scrap the Rs 3,546 crore contract.

With growing indications that defence minister A K Antony may not flinch from taking the extreme step of cancelling the deal, Khurshid sounded a distinct note of caution. "We don't want to overreact because we don't want to let this issue affect our defence preparedness," he said.

Antony and Khurshid are both members of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), the highest decision-making body on defence-related matters. The foreign minister said a final decision would be taken when it is brought before the CCS.

Speaking exclusively to TOI on his way back from Dhaka, Khurshid said, "There is a very important segment of opinion, including former air chiefs, who have nothing to do with the AgustaWestland deal, who have certified that the quality of the product is beyond compare. Nobody has raised a question on the quality of the aircraft. Even on the changing of tech specifications, there has been no question — it was done with the best intentions of opening the field to more players."

The comments suggest that the desire to punish Finmeccanica for paying bribes to clinch the deal should not overwhelm the need to shore up defence.

Khurshid even stressed that whether the Italians violated any Indian law is yet to be determined.

His remarks followed indications that Antony, furious over the alleged use of bribes for pushing the deals and allegations of delay on his part, was headed towards cancelling the deal. The defence ministry last week issued a show-cause notice to Finmeccanica, the manufacturer of AgustaWestland choppers, asking the company whether money changed hands. The notice is seen as a precursor to scrapping the deal as the defence ministry holds that bribery would be violative of the integrity pact that all defence suppliers are subject to and violations of which are liable to be punished by cancellation, fines and blacklisting of firms.

Significantly, Antony had so far been seen as acting on his own, and had chosen not to run his decisions past either the CCS or the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

However, Khurshid cautioned against the rush. "We need to examine why corruption has happened on a defence deal like this. I can understand it when a poor quality product has been pushed through as a result of corrupt practices. But this chopper is not a poor quality product. So we need to get to the bottom of this. All I can say is that we have followed all the procedures, and there was no deviation from that," he added.

The 'go-slow' sign hoisted by Khurshid is in sync with the recommendations of the Naresh Chandra taskforce on national security. The high-level panel led by the former Cabinet Secretary also had taken a dim view of the frequent cancellations and blacklisting of defence companies that was affecting India's national security. It recommended a number of actions that could be taken against the offending individuals and firms.

On Italy's refusal to share the documents related to the prosecution of Finmeccanica officials, Khurshid recorded India's disappointment. However, he also underlined Italy was playing by the same rules that New Delhi had invoked when it imprisoned two Italian marines for shooting Indian fishermen off the Kerala coast last year. It was the first time a connection has been made between the two cases. "We will continue to take it up with Italy, but there is a rule of law in both countries and a question of judicial jurisdiction. When the Italian marines were held in Kerala we told them our laws and our jurisdiction would prevail. Now, we have to respect theirs," he said.

The minister said, "A key issue that has to be resolved is whether a crime had been committed under Indian law. They (Italians) have emphasized secrecy. They have told us that at this point of time that they would not be sharing details with anyone, not only us. Of course we are disappointed. They have arrested someone on the basis of a deal that involves us. We are well within our rights to ask for the information. We hope that in due course of time we will get access."

He justified calling for a CBI probe on the case, now that it's more than just media reports. However, he also said there are still not enough facts.

On Saturday, Khurshid had said India would raise the subject with visiting UK PM David Cameron, but later he took a more qualified position. "We will raise it if ministry of defence wants us to raise it."

I have a strong, nagging feeling that this 'chopperscam' is merely a 'threat' by the Italians to get their marines, embroiled in the TN fishermen case, back without any 'punishment'.
Very likely, there'll be a secret deal between our Govt., and the Italians; the marines will be freed on some technicalities,and the Italians will 'implicate' some nondescript bureaucrat from our defence dept., and the deal too will be 'saved'------and the 'real beneficiaries' will go Scot free. ie., a win-win situation for all.

I have a strong, nagging feeling that this 'chopperscam' is merely a 'threat' by the Italians to get their marines, embroiled in the TN fishermen case, back without any 'punishment'.
Very likely, there'll be a secret deal between our Govt., and the Italians; the marines will be freed on some technicalities,and the Italians will 'implicate' some nondescript bureaucrat from our defence dept., and the deal too will be 'saved'------and the 'real beneficiaries' will go Scot free. ie., a win-win situation for all.

Looks like Jaane Bhi do yaaron.

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This is quite a game, politics. There are no permanent enemies, and no permanent friends,only permanent interests. - Some Firang

I have a strong, nagging feeling that this 'chopperscam' is merely a 'threat' by the Italians to get their marines, embroiled in the TN fishermen case, back without any 'punishment'.
Very likely, there'll be a secret deal between our Govt., and the Italians; the marines will be freed on some technicalities,and the Italians will 'implicate' some nondescript bureaucrat from our defence dept., and the deal too will be 'saved'------and the 'real beneficiaries' will go Scot free. ie., a win-win situation for all.

The Supreme Court’s judgment on Enrica Lexie last week was unambiguous in declaring that the Italian marines must stand trial in India for now. But the Court’s reasoning may have far reaching consequences for the case as well as for how India can interpret its jurisdiction in waters beyond the 12-nautical mile line from the coast that marks the formal extent of its territory.

The Court has pointed out that India is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) and is bound to adhere to it. Article 97 of Unclos says that in case of a navigation incident such as collision in the high seas India cannot detain a vessel registered in another country or initiate proceedings against the crew if they are not Indian nationals. The Court said Article 97 will not apply in the case of Enrica Lexie as the shooting was a criminal action, not a navigation incident. ......

The Supreme Court on Friday questioned the government as to why it was “dragging its feet” on the issue of setting up a special court for holding trial of two Italian marines, accused of shooting dead two Indian fishermen.

The Supreme Court also took exception to the Centre not following its January 18 direction to consult the Chief Justice of India to set up a special court to try the case.

“Why the Centre is dragging its feet? Nobody has made attempt for consultation for setting up of court,” a bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir said.

The remarks were made after the bench was told that the issue of setting up a special court was under consideration.

“How long will it take? If the court would have been set up, the trial in the case could have been over. Why it is late? It would have by now decided whether they are guilty or not,” the bench, also comprising justices A.R. Dave and Vikramajit Sen, observed during the hearing on the pleas by the two marines seeking to visit their country to cast votes for the upcoming general elections. .........

Fall of SP tyagi is huge blow to the IAF, for the first time, a service chief is caught in the corruption case. He was a very great professional, first Jaguar pilot, probably the best chief since PC Lal.

Defense need urgent reform, when it comes to corruption, defense is as corrupt as any civilian organization.

jeetIAF

__________________ One isn't born one's self. One is born with mass of expectation, a mass of other people's ideas- and you have to work it all.- Sir VS Naipaul

Fall of SP tyagi is huge blow to the IAF, for the first time, a service chief is caught in the corruption case. He was a very great professional, first Jaguar pilot, probably the best chief since PC Lal.

Defense need urgent reform, when it comes to corruption, defense is as corrupt as any civilian organization.